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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Soils are at the heart of all life: they cover most of the natural terrestrial world. Because of the long timescales involved in soil formation processes, soils are a finite, non-renewable resource.
The soils of Scotland provide a wide range of environmental, economic and societal benefits. The term soil quality is conventionally defined as the ability or fitness of a specific kind of soil to carry out one or several of the following functions:
- Providing the basis for food, forestry and other biomass production
- Controlling and regulating environmental interactions - regulating water flow and quality
- Storing carbon and maintaining the balance of gases in the air
- Providing valued habitats & sustaining biodiversity
- Preserving cultural and archaeological heritage
- Providing raw material
- Providing a platform for construction
Due largely to the sustainable management employed by land managers over a prolonged period, Scotland's soils are generally in good health. However, compared to air or water, for which national, long-term data sets exists, for soils there is a lack of national trend data from which evidence of change in, and damage to soils might be determined.
According to recently published research, climate change and loss of organic matter are the most significant threats to Scottish soils. Both affect most soil functions with impacts which are national in their occurrence and which are difficult to reverse. In the case of greenhouse gas emissions, through soil organic matter loss, the impacts are globally.
Construction (sealing), loss of biodiversity and deposition of acidifying and eutrophying air pollutants also represent significant threats to soils in Scotland. Threats most commonly associated with cultivation (erosion, loss of structure, compaction) were not judged to pose high risks at the national scale. However, these do pose a threat locally and can have significant impacts, for example, loss of peatland habitat, damage to subsurface archaeological features and impacts on water quality
In Scotland there is a significant body of policy in place relevant to soils, providing direct or indirect protection of soils. However, no one legislative or policy tool has been developed specifically with the protection of soil in mind. Where policy or legislation does relate to soil, the extent is generally limited to the protection of a specific impact or function of that soil.
At European level, the European Commission has adopted the Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection following concerns about the level of soil protection within Members States. The Commission also proposed a Soil Framework Directive, which sets out legislative proposals to prevent soil degradation, to preserve soil function and to restore degraded and contaminated soils.
Against this background, the Scottish Soil Framework was developed based on the advice from key stakeholders. Our vision is that soils are recognised as a vital part of our economy, environment and heritage, to be safeguarded for existing and future generations
The main aim of the Framework is to promote the sustainable management and protection of soils consistent with the economic, social and environmental needs of Scotland. Four areas have been identified to focus future efforts:
- To raise the awareness of the distinctiveness of Scottish soils.
- To integrate soil protection into relevant policies.
- To improve the accessibility to information on soils, including the development of a Scottish Soil Monitoring Network.
- To improve understanding, highlighting knowledge gaps and research needs.
The Framework identifies specific activities, that will contribute to 11 soil outcomes:
- soil organic matter stock protected
- soil erosion reduced
- greenhouse gas emission from soils reduced
- soil's capacity to adapt to changing climate enhanced
- soil biodiversity as well as above ground biodiversity protected
- soils making a positive contribution to sustainable flood management
- water quality enhanced through improved soil management
- soil's productive capacity to produce food, timber and other biomass maintained
- soil contamination reduced
- reduced pressure on soils by using brownfield sites in preference to greenfield
- effective coordination of relevant organisation's actions
The Framework identifies a range of activities which will contribute to achieving these outcomes. Critical is the need for Scottish Government to increase the awareness of soils and the emphasis placed on soils during policy development. This cross-cutting activity is vital to meet the ultimate aim of safeguarding Scotland's soils.
The publication of the Scottish Soil Framework will be the first important step to raise awareness, encouraging better policy integration. However, it is important to note that the Framework will be the start of a process during which future activities will be identified and taken forward with key delivery partners. Future efforts will not be limited to the fixed list of actions as presented in the Framework. The Scottish Government together with key delivery partners will continue to assess the effectiveness of soil policies in the light of new evidence, and in the context of climate change. In order to coordinate the relevant organisation's roles and responsibilities as well as to share resources and exchange information the Scottish Government will facilitate the liaison amongst delivery partners.
Finally, key to all future efforts is the need to continue to engage closely with land managers to improve further soils awareness, and also with the research community, ensuring that all efforts are underpinned by sound evidence. The Scottish Government funds a substantial research portfolio on Enhancing and Protecting the Nation's Soils. This reflects the key role that this natural resource plays in delivering economic and environmental benefits. At the same time, it highlights the scientific uncertainty on many fundamental soil processes. The full exploitation of the findings of soil research by relevant stakeholders will be a significant contribution to developing policies and maintaining sustainable soil management.
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